Steve Perry back to make Barnstaple tick against Malvern

BARNSTAPLE will have the man who makes them tick back for tomorrow's home against Malvern in National Three south west.Steve Perry is expected to start on the bench for the Pottington Road clash (2.30pm) after a six-week absence.The player-coach has been out of action since injuring his knee in the defeat at Brixham last month.Perry, a former Cornish All Blacks fly half, played a key part in Barnstaple's strong start to the season but the back division has not quite been the same in his absence.Kevin Squire, the director of rugby, said: "It's great to have him back, he really makes the back line tick."His greatest gift is he takes the ball right up to the line – very few guys have the courage to do that – and his distribution skills are defence splitting."The pass is normally a line-breaking pass, then it is up to the back three to get on the end and finish it off, as they were in the early part of the season."Perry's return comes at a good time for eighth-placed Barnstaple. After the Malvern game, they face tricky fixtures against Newton Abbot (away), Old Patesians (home) and Redingensians (away) before Christmas."Everyone knows Steve's a cut above and we want to get him involved before the big games before Christmas," said Squire. "If he is prominent, I'm quite confident we can win all three of them."